Not one to bury the lede, LEV announced our decision this week to not endorse a candidate in the governor’s race. Much has been said about it, and our press release can be read here. As an organization with a broad mission that supports both reform and ample funding in the pursuit of world class schools for Washington’s students, neither candidate had both halves of that equation. We’ve enjoyed on-going discussion with both candidates and their staff and welcome further discussion on how to provide the best educational opportunities for all of our students.

With regard to this weekly missive, it’s been a while, I’m tempted to do that Jack in the Shining thing and scowl, “I’m baaaaaacckkkk.” But first, let’s discuss where the Round Up went.

Our communications team here at LEV started assembling a daily ed news round up sometime this spring, the Daily Ed. Which made my Weekly News Round Up both easier and more redundant-er. If you don’t currently get the news from the team, I highly recommend you check it out. For those of you who like your ed news all high and dry without a cloud in the sky, this may be your format of choice as it’s mainly links (I’m tempted to say not so much patties, but that gives away my sausage fetish) and straight up news. For those who like a little silly with their ed news, the bonus links never fail to entertain. If not mystify and make you wonder just what the heck went wrong.

For those few unbalanced, unhinged of you out there who like your news a bit spicy, bonus links or not, I’m working out a new format. One that is a value add to your already info-avalanche-news-a-palooza. I didn’t invent Twitter. And didn’t major in creative writing. (Me thinks an oxymoron was born here) But I do so enjoy a little tongue-in-cheek analysis. Our shared work can be hard and dry like creating farmland in the dustbowl. We will try to make the ground a bit softer for tilling and put the wind at your back. Ideas for that secret sauce always welcome.

In the meantime, a couple of things you might have missed:

Movie Night: The latest Edu-change movie to hit the big screen is causing quite a dust up. “Won’t Back Down,” starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis, revolves around a single mom working with a teacher in a failing school to turn the school around. It’s not an unusual dust up, criticizing the current structural barriers to change isn’t popular. Teachers’ unions in particular are not happy with the way they are characterized. The movie lays out in plain terms the “parent trigger” movement – parents banding together to hit the “reset” button on their school. Not to be missed though is the fact that the “liberal elite entertainment establishment” continues to shine a light on the barriers to change and achievement, even though they are more politically aligned with the unions than with conservatives. Partly because this is the quintessential “boot straps” or “journey” story that fits the liberals in Hollywood like faux-mink-lined gloves. Think Rocky. Norma Rae. Dumb and Dumber. Maybe, just maybe, this movie was made because it’s the story that needs telling – by friends.

National Stage: NBC’s Education Nation will get underway later this month. Look for power hitters from all corners of the education space to take center stage at the New York Public Library from September 23 – 25. Education power hitters like Gates and Rhee and Weingarten for example. This is the biggest and possibly last national stage on education prior to the election.

More than enough for now – especially if you are looking over the Daily Ed. My perennial shout out to my beloved Green Bay Packers is next – yes, Super Bowl Bound! Have a great weekend and thanks for all you do for Washington’s kids.

By the way, I’ll have to go back and re-watch the best horror movie ever made to confirm, but I don’t think Jack every scowled, “I’m baaaaaacckkkk.” I assume your misremembering his famous (and stolen line) after he axed through the bathroom door and declared: “Here’s Johnny!”